Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 23, 2026
08:05
A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers
Published on: January 5, 2018
9.7K
Sex differences in distributed error-related neural activation in problem-drinking young adults
Jillian E Hardee1, Alexander S Weigard1, Mary M Heitzeg1
1Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Center, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|August 29, 2024
Summary
Males show heightened salience network activation during inhibitory errors compared to females. These sex differences in cognitive control may influence vulnerability to substance use disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Error detection and response are crucial for goal-directed behavior and cognitive control.
- Key brain regions involved include the anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula.
- Sex differences in cognitive control maturation create vulnerabilities for psychiatric conditions like substance use disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in brain activation related to error processing in young adults with problem alcohol use.
- To examine activation patterns in specific brain regions associated with error detection.
Main Methods:
- A Go/No-Go task was administered to young adults with problem alcohol use (N=69).
- Regions of interest included anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and frontoparietal structures.
- Multivariate analyses quantified individual differences in brain responses to inhibitory errors (false alarms).
Main Results:
- A primary component explaining most variance in error-related activation loaded strongly on salience network structures.
- Males exhibited significantly higher activation in the FA>GO component compared to females.
- No significant sex difference was found for the FA>CR component.
Conclusions:
- Males display greater salience network activation in response to inhibitory errors, potentially due to sex-based differences in error monitoring or novelty detection.
- Findings highlight sex differences in cognitive control mechanisms.
- Results have implications for understanding risks for substance use and other cognitive control disorders.
Related Concept Videos
01:43Sex-linked Disorders
Like autosomes, sex chromosomes contain a variety of genes necessary for normal body function. When a mutation in one of these genes results in biological deficits, the disorder is considered sex-linked.
01:43Sex Linked Disorders
Like autosomes, sex chromosomes contain a variety of genes necessary for normal body function. When a mutation in one of these genes results in biological deficits, the disorder is considered sex-linked.
01:27CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Ethanol, a clear colorless alcohol, has been consumed by humans for millennia, but its effects on the body are far from benign. At lower doses, it induces decreased inhibitions and loquaciousness, leading to its social appeal. However, it can cause severe consequences at higher doses, such as coma and respiratory depression, due to its zero-order elimination kinetics. Chronic ethanol abuse wreaks havoc on multiple organ systems, particularly the CNS and the liver. Abrupt cessation of ethanol...
01:30Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
Social-emotional experiences and cultural influences play significant roles in shaping gender development. During middle childhood, from ages 6 to 11, peer groups become dominant in reinforcing gender norms. Children in this age group often align with same-gender peer groups, which actively encourage behaviors that conform to traditional gender roles. For instance, boys may be discouraged from engaging in activities perceived as feminine, reinforcing culturally dictated norms about masculinity...
01:28Conduct Disorder
Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...
01:25Microbes in Beverage Production
Alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, and spirits are the products of microbial fermentation processes that transform simple sugars into ethanol and a wide array of complex flavor compounds. These transformations rely on the metabolic activities of specific yeasts and bacteria, which are selected and controlled to yield the desired beverage characteristics.Wine Fermentation and MaturationWine production begins with the crushing of grapes to release juice and pulp, forming a must that is...